Ghanaians have been called upon to uphold their germane cultural heritage, which gives them a unique identity.
The call was made by the Mr Aboagye Gyedu, the Member of Parliament for Sefwi Anhwiaso, and the Minister-designate for the Western North Region.
Mr Gyedu was speaking at the Ascension Methodist Church at Haatso in the Greater Accra Region, where a special church service was held to commemorate Ghana’s 62nd Independence anniversary.
The service was climaxed with a traditional food bazaar that showcased a variety of traditional Ghanaian cuisines including bankye kakro, apapransa, mpotompoto, and abetie.
To spice up the event, members of the congregation were clad in various traditional attire such as batakari, kente and agbadza with some depicting chiefly dressings.
The event also marked the commencement of the 20th anniversary of the Ascension Methodist Church, hence a commemorative song composed by Mr Johnny Andoh-Arthur was outdoored amidst shouts of joy.
Other dignitaries that graced the event were Alex Kofi Agyekum, the Member of Parliament for Mporhor Wassa, and Parliamentary Select Committee on Culture, Youth, Sports and Education, and a representative of Sarah Adwoa Safo, the MP for Dome Kwabenya.
Mr Gyedu said that the traditional cuisines, which earlier Ghanaians used to eat enhanced good health and general well-being.
“Until the 1920s, there were no hospitals in the country, and yet people did not contract diseases as being witnessed these days. The secret is that, they ate good food and took care of themselves. That is the way to go as a people,” he noted.
On the issue of language, the MP and Minister-designate emphasised that Ghanaians would do a lot of disservice to future generations if they failed to teach their children the native languages and dialects.
Mr Agyekum said the culture of Ghanaians made them unique, and asked the people to be proud of the heritage.
In a sermon on the title ‘Let your light shine,’ the minister in charge of the church, Rev. James Dade Adaye, implored the congregation not to lose sight of their role as ambassadors of Christ.
He called on them to assist the church raise GH¢200,000 towards the building of a chapel.
Prof. Kenneth Danso, a senior member of the congregation, and chairman or the 20th anniversary committee of the church, said the theme for the anniversary was ‘Celebrating the Goodness of the Lord with Gratitude.’
He asked the church to reflect on the blessings of God and show appreciation by contributing to the construction of the new chapel building.
